The Practice of Speaking

Scripture reading: Heb. 1:1-2; Phil. 2:16; Eph. 4:29; Psalm 19:14; Col. 4:6

I.  Our God is a speaking God.

A.   God is the eternal Word. – John 1:1

B.   God created the heavens and the earth by His speaking. – “By the word of Jehovah the heavens were made… For He spoke, and it was; He commanded, and it stood.” – Psalm 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:3 (cf. Gen. 1:3-30)

C.   God’s speaking reveals God’s heart and God’s purpose. – Heb. 1:1-2

II.  Our speaking must be a reflection of God, an expression of Christ, and a manifestation of the Spirit.

A.   “For we are not like the many, adulterating the word of God for profit; but as out of sincerity, but as out of God, before God we speak in Christ.” – 2 Cor. 2:17

B.   “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable. For to one through the Spirit a word of wisdom is given, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.” – 1 Cor. 12:7-8

C.   “And having the same spirit of faith… we also believe, therefore we also speak.” – 2 Cor. 4:13

III.  We must have the best contents in our speaking.

A.   We must speak beautiful words. “Naphtali… gives beautiful words.” – Gen. 49:21

B.   We must speak words of wisdom. “My mouth will speak wisdom…” – Psalm 49:3

C.   We must speak words of grace, as the Lord Jesus did. – “You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.” – Psalm 45:2; Luke 4:22

D.   We must speak pleasant words. “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Prov. 16:24

E.    We must speak healthy words. “Hold a pattern of the healthy words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” – 2 Tim. 1:13

F.    We must speak the word of life. “Holding forth the word of life…” – Phil. 2:16 (To hold forth the word of life is to apply it, to present it, and to offer it to the world by living out Christ.)

G.   We must learn to speak much more about Christ. – “My heart overflows with a good matter; / I speak what I have composed concerning the King. / My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” – Psalm 45:1

IV.  Our speaking needs to be adjusted, perfected, and uplifted.

A.   We need to deal with our heart first. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” – Matt. 12:34; Luke 6:45

B.   We need to be watchful concerning our speaking. – “Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; / Keep the door of my lips.” – Psalm 141:3

C.   We need to avoid speaking such words:

1.     Excessive words – “When there are many words transgression does not cease, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.” – Prov. 10:19

“But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no; for anything more than these is of the evil one.” – Matt. 5:37

2.     Idle words, gossips – “He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who opens his lips wide.” – Prov. 20:19

“And I say to you that every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by yours words you shall be condemned.” – Matt. 12:36-37

3.     Judging words – “Therefore you are without excuse, O every man who judges (criticizes), for in what you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” –Rom. 2:1; James 4:11

4.     Foul words – “And obscenity and foolish talking or sly, filthy jesting, which are not becoming…” – Eph. 5:4

5.     Unprofitable and vain words – “Nor to give heed to myths” (words, speeches, and conversations concerning such things as rumors, reports, true or false stories, and fictions) – 1 Tim. 1:4.  “But avoid foolish questionings and genealogies and strifes and contentions about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.” – Titus 3:9

D.   Many things need to be filtered out from our speaking. – James 3:8-11; Eph. 4:31

1.     “But the tongue…is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made according to the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, ought not to be so. Does the spring, out of the same opening, gush forth the sweet and the bitter?” – James 3:8-11

2.     “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear. … Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and clamor and evil speaking be removed from you, with all malice.” –  Eph. 4:29, 31

V.  We have many opportunities for speaking according to God.

A.   In our daily life, family life, work life and social life, we must make use of every opportunity to speak properly to everyone.

1.     We can sustain others. – “The Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of the instructed, that I should know how to sustain the weary with a word.” – Isaiah 50:4a

2.     Our timely speaking is useful. – “A man has joy in the apt answer of his mouth; and a word in its season, how good it is!” – Prov. 15:23

3.     Even our reproof will be effective. – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.” – Prov. 25:11-12

B.   In the church life, we speak for God, speak forth God, and speak Christ into people for life and building.

1.     “But he who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men… he who prophesies builds up the church.” – 1 Cor. 14:3, 4

2.     “If anyone speaks, as speaking oracles of God; if anyone ministers, as ministering out of the strength which God supplies; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…” – 1 Pet. 4:11

C.   In preaching the gospel, we must pray for the utterance and the boldness to speak the word of the Lord.

1.     “And for me, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known in boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in a chain, that in it I would speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” – Eph. 6:19-20

2.     “Proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching.” – 2 Tim. 4:2

VI.  Our speaking should always be measured by God’s standard and have a positive effect on others.

A.   Our speaking must be acceptable to God. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart / Be acceptable before You, / O Jehovah, my rock and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14

B.   Our speaking must be pleasant and helpful to others. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” – Col. 4:6